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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — the season
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lie — to recline
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wound — an injury
  17. track — a path
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spring — of water
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com